A Roman history, a call to beloveds, a Hallmark creation, a candy bonanza. For me, it’s the people. The best friends, the embracing ‘family’, the intergenerational gathering. It’s the warmth, camaraderie and gently sincere queries which go deeper than a ‘how are you’ in passing. It’s the hugs and cheek- to- cheek kisses from long

By Guest blogger Dionne Chambers Part I: When are you a parent for the purposes of child support? You’re the parent who has been living with your partner and his children from a previous relationship. You have two special children yourself. The kids share time with their other biological parents at different locations on a

1. Ask yourself what outcomes you are seeking before you confirm your decision to separate. Who can assist you to understand the consequences of and implications to others when exercising those plans? 2. Use both listening and hearing without projecting your ideas, judgments, and opinions. Allow your mind to become silent to the ‘noise’ within

Separation is accompanied by conflict, loss, and confusion for both the parents and children. The extended families may be fending off taking take sides. From their perspective, their long-standing involvement in the kids’ lives could be seriously jeopardized. Emotions already at a high, can be easily enflamed. Misunderstandings outnumber kind gestures. Children feel unsettled and

There’s a reason why you need to see a family law lawyer now. The need can become pretty overwhelming in your mind. Time is important to you and your family. Here’s what to do. How you do see the problem? It’s your perspective on what’s been happening. Include the dates when important events happened, the

When reconciliation is no longer an option: If you’re still considering trying to make your marriage work; work on it! If you know separation is the only option, share your decision with your spouse in a letter or email. In Canada this date starts the countdown for the one year period prior to applying for

You authorize your lawyer to obtain a divorce order by signing the Retainer Agreement. As you know, in Canada, there must be a one year wait from the date of separation to the date of the application to grant the court authority to grant a divorce order. The process to obtain the divorce order can

I’m not your messenger: Please talk directly to each other and don’t leave letters to each other in my knapsack. Your anger is hurting me: I understand that divorcing leaves parents emotionally exhausted. I need strong, patient, and caring parents. You are teaching me anger when you are fighting with each other in my presence.

“If I receive an inheritance before we marry, it’s not marital property to share.” Bottom line: Maybe true or false Ask: Was there a cohabitation agreement in place before the date of marriage? Has the inheritance been used to purchase a jointly held marital asset such as a vehicle or vacation property or used to

“If I own property in another country it’s clearly not martial property.” Bottom line: Depending on the circumstances, it may be true or false. Ask: In whose name and how was ownership taken? When was the property acquired? Was there a formal domestic agreement executed pursuant to Ontario Family Law Act and is this property

Litigation: In the Ontario family courts provide a stepped process which is neither cost nor time effective. Mediation programs offer litigating parents an attempt to find common ground before a judge determines the parenting arrangement for them. Some mediation programs are geared to income making them accessible to all parents. Other tools available to the

1. The darnedest habits get in the way Were the little idiosyncrasies the traits which attracted you in the first place? Can those now annoying and irritating peculiarities be handled in a non-confrontational way to refresh the relationship? 2. It’s a forest and trees problem: Friends and family may not be aware of what’s going